WAR ON DRUGS IS BULLSHIT

Boston Mayor Wu’s administration is caving to pressure from business owners who blame the unhoused for their failing businesses in Downtown Crossing and homeowners who are more concerned about their comfort and property values than people’s lives. They announced a new “addiction first” plan to end public consumption through forced treatment, increased policing, and the rollback of street harm reduction services.

Join us in demanding that Mayor Wu reverse this deadly policy and instead advocate for funding for Overdose Prevention Centers.

Take Action!

  1. Send the below email to Mayor Wu
  2. Call Mayor Wu at 617-635-4500

Feel free to use our scripts, or create your own!

EMAIL SCRIPT

Send to: Michelle.Wu@boston.gov

Dear Mayor Wu,

My name is [name], and I live in Boston. I am writing to voice my deep concern for your new “Addiction First” policy to deal with congregant drug use. Your administration’s plan to end public consumption through forced treatment, increased policing, and the rollback of street harm reduction services will be deadly.

War on Drugs policies, like the ones your administration is enacting, do not help decrease substance use. They increase wealth gaps, break up families, and disproportionately destabilize black and brown communities. 

In addition to these, your administration’s new policies will:

  • increase fatal overdoses
  • make it harder for people to access housing, stabilization, and medical services
  • needlessly incarcerate people
  • traumatize people
  • increase infections and transmission of disease

Instead of further criminalizing people who use drugs in public, going against the recommendations of homeless service providers in Boston and pandering to business interests, you should be advocating for the funding and creation of Overdose Prevention Centers.

You will not have my vote this November unless you reverse this policy and treat people who use drugs with the compassion they deserve. 

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

CALL SCRIPT

PHONE # 617-635-4500

Hello, my name is [name], and I live in Boston. 

I’m calling to express my deep concern about the “Addiction First” policy your administration recently enacted to address congregant drug use. I believe your plan to end public consumption through increased policing, forced treatment, and rolling back street harm reduction services will be deadly. This policy will lead to more fatal overdoses, make it harder for people to access housing and medical services, unnecessarily incarcerate people, and increase disease transmission. 

Instead of criminalizing people who use drugs, I urge you to support the creation of Overdose Prevention Centers in Boston. You will not have my vote unless you reverse this harmful policy and treat people who use drugs with the compassion they deserve.

Thank you.